Module 1

Edit 0 5 …
Module 1: The Challenge of Learning to Read

Key Content
 Classroom Connections
  • Speaking is natural; Learning to read is not natural
  • Oral language is the foundational skill for reading and writing
  • Spoken language is different from written Language
  • English is a deep morphophonemic language (we spell by sound and meaning)
  • Teach the difference between spoken and written language
  • Emphasize oral language development in the primary grades (vocabulary, syntax, speech sounds, context, etc.)
  • Vary strategies to emphasize both sound-symbol correspondences and meaning units for teaching reading and spelling
  • Reading is the product of decoding and language comprehension
  • Several major parts of the left hemisphere of the brain must work together for reading to occur
  • The Four-Part Processing Model represents a complete system for word recognition in which each system must be educated and all parts must work together fluently
  • Context is the back-up system
  • Teach the 4 processors explicitly with an emphasis on the interconnections and fluency (example – teaching a new vocabulary word use the word in several contexts, pronounce the word and have students repeat/use the word several times, teach the structure of the word (spelling)
  • Reading develops along a developmental continuum (Ehri’s Phases: prealphabetic, early alphabetic, later alphabetic, consolidated alphabetic)
  • Different skills are emphasized during each phase of reading development
  • Use student writing and spelling as a diagnostic tool to set goals and design instruction that is differentiated
  • Teach foundational skills to mastery
  • Be careful not to emphasize letter names in early instruction
  • Reading disabilities vary in their underlying cause and symptoms
  • Interventions for reading disabilities must be prescribed based on type of disability and individual student need
  • DIBELS assesses all 4 processors
  • Teachers can use a variety of tools to define student need and adjust instruction accordingly
  • Specialists can use deeper assessments to define individual student needs and design interventions matched to need